Medications and weight Gain
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Medications and weight Gain
| Tue, 07-24-2007 - 9:20am |
Hi, I am Teresa and noew to the board, I am type 2 diabetic, I had 2 stents in in Jan. I am on Lantus 85 units at night, Novalog before meals, about 2 to three time a day, and Advantia 4 mg 2 x daily. I have days that this works well but other days with high stress ( we are aquiring custody of our 2 yr grandson). Among many other stress factors. Real problem is weight gain, Since Jan with the stents and 10 heart meds and all the new insulin I have packed on 45 lbs. I had two disc going out in my back now we are looking at 2 more bad disc, and the weight is becoming an issue for that treatment. I have followed the nutritionist diet but the weight keeps on adding on, and due to back issues the treat mill is now out and gettting a spinal block he said only water exercises are allowed. Is all diabetic meds going to put the weigh on I know I have alot of water retention, medformin is not a drug of choice for me my body can't handle it unless I stay on anti dirreah meds. Any suggestions.

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If you belong to a gym, do they have an elliptical machine that would work for you. I will confess I only use the precor one at the local Y. i have tried 3 newer fancier ones they have that also have the moveable arms. none are doable for me. my ability to exercise is limited by several different problems, the most significant being severe arthritis especially in one knee. the other has it also but does not limit me anywhere near as much as the other one does.
If your gym has a precor one, try that elliptical. when i started out on it, i only did it between 5-10 minutes and i will also confess to not being the most coordinated person. So it took a while to get the hang of it. Many of the Y members swear by that particular machine. the stride is more natural, its easier to get onto, and since it does not have the moving arms, its safer for those with balance issues. I do know a number of people with back problems though that have found machines that they really like. It is gentler on the joints because you are not picking up and putting down your feet. Another possibility, although you probably would need to clear this with your doctor, and not sure you have one available. IF you have an ergometer(its what i call an arm cycle) and usually is somewhat similar to using a exercise bike with your arms. If you have heart problems you could also check to see if your hospital or even the gym have anything for cardiac rehab. I broke my leg in 92 and was in wheelchair for almost 5-6 months. when i got released from PT, they had mentioned cardiac rehab at the hospital. it basically is just a room in the local hospital with exercise machines. they work most of the day specifically with groups in cardiac rehab, but they also permitted others with disabilities plus employees to use the room too. They supervise much closer than in a gym, and they would check your pulse before and after, and not let you leave the room till it came down. But they also were knowledgeable as to what was safe to use and what was not. I paid it basically I think $5/session but it was worth it because at that point i started using the treadmill(with major dependance on the railings...since i was still using walker) and think i started out with a piddly 10 minutes. You might also check with the gym to see if they have someone who can work with disabled people. One possibility depending on the gym, they might have some sessions specifically for those with various limitations and or senior citizens.
The most important things when starting to work out is to start out slow and listen to your body. If you try working with a trainer, and they use that nasty phrase, no pain, no gain...RUN!! THE OTHER WAY!! I found it helped to use a CD player to start and i also have used magazines, and watched TV too. whatever seems to help keep me motivated.
One thing that might help give you some feedback would be to get a pedometer. Walmart has a nice one for about $19.95 from Omron. I suspect given your lifestyle(caring for puppies, etc) that one might be better than some! It comes with a "leash!" i clip that to my waistband and then if i knock it off, i immediately know cuz it starts tapping against my body. I would be really upset to lose one. BUT it can help you find out what you are doing as far as how many steps you are really taking. One thing I like is sometimes I am really not as aware of how cranky my body is being, until i look at that and see how few steps i have taken in a day. Sometimes that means I need to be better at taking the aspirin!!!(have had problems with every other arthritis drug so have gone back to plain old aspirin or entericoated aspirin.) That particular pedometer will stay on 24/7 and will record several different items over a 7-8 day period. so it lets you know how you are doing over time. it also to be honest can just be stuck in your pocket and worn that way.
Auntydoxzz
Thank for your interest.
I have been diabetic most my life and recognition of type 2 child diabetes was rare at that time. I was very thin.
My mom and a very advanced doctor
directed my dietary path before the exchange diet.
The exchange was wonderful for me.
As mom was salt free my early years established the importance of a salt free diet
As I was allergic to the avalable insulins the only solution was diet.
The introduction of Humalin was another milestone.
When trying the carb diet count i noticed loss of fats control and creeping natural salt acceptance with a touch of less protein awarness then switched back to exchange as i didn't feel well.
My doctor thinks no set weight or treatment is an absolute model and promotes
diet exercise weight and medication that gives the individual the most energy and good health without complications. For me that is about 112 instead the model of 104 pounds.
Tizfay
Sometimes it is useful to do more than one type of thing, so you might try doing a little walking and keeping up with the water exercise too.
Sounds though like you might also have to check with drs treating your heart problems too to make sure you are not doing too much.
Auntydoxzz
this kind of surgery is a big change and there are advantages and disadvantages. it does seem to be getting recommended more for people with diabetes and can result in them being able to stop using insulin.
I do have a former coworker who did it, and has been very happy with results. BUT be sure to have it done by doctors very well experienced, and from what I can tell, those places doing a substantial number of these surgeries also have patients go through a lot of testing and counseling before doing it. The one my friend went through also has support groups meeting regularly, and she drives quite a distance to go to them. It is important to remember it does limit what nutrients actually get absorbed by the body, there can also be issues i think somewhat similar to problems with Metformin. You might want to check out some of the recent copies of the diabetic magazine put out by the American Diabetic association, becuase they have had at least one or 2 articles on it. It also can be a battle getting it covered by insurance. In a lot of group HMO's it might not be covered at all. My friend also has had to start taking extra calcium and other vitamins and minerals due to potential problems there. It would also be very important to run this by the doctors treating your heart condition also.
a couple things to remember if you do have that type of surgery, especially shortly after it you are very limited in what you can eat and more important when you can eat. It seems to boil down to having to eat much smaller meals MUCH more often. so if you are in court or doing other things that will prevent you from eating quite often that may be important to consider too. I was surprised my coworker had to be so very careful to make sure she gets enough calcium because that apparently can be a problem with not getting enough so osteoporosis is more of a risk.
Some people have lots of problems from it and some people do great! My coworker really had very few problems. she also has major back problems and has been through back surgery. she also has major problems with asthma and several other conditions plus diabetes in her family. I think there is a board here or else on the web site for called i think about.com which covers health issues also.
I have no idea how they handle it with being diabetic and having the surgery. eventually i think many on insulin can go off that, but how they get from that to no insulin i do not know.
Auntydoxzz
Just got the August issue of Diabetes Forecast(i think that is the right name. its the one put out by the ADA.) anyway the cover says there is an article in there about stomach surgery, so you might want to check that out.
It might help some too for you to get a pedometer. Even if walking for 1/2 hour or whatever is not within your ability, sometimes it helps to know how many steps you are doing a day. But for that you need a pedometer that stays on all the time(some shut off with inactivity i think). But that way, at the end of the day you can see how many steps you have taken and slowly try to add more steps each day. Mine are really up and down because if the knee is really raging then I can't do a lot of walking. But it does help in the sense that sometimes I can see I have moved less, and can even just literally walk around my house and add another 100-500 steps that way. Sometimes it feels like an real accomplishment to get those numbers higher than they have been.
Like I said though, if you try working with a trainer or anyone who tells you no pain, no gain do NOT listen to them. with physical limitations if you ignore those pains, it often means you get laid up for a while!! Do what you can, and remember to give yourself credit for what you are able to do!! That doesnt mean to stop when you feel any discomfort but pay attention to your body and you will learn when it is time to stop. If you feel serious pain, it is time to stop.
I will also admit though that as I started working out at the Y, I did find over time that the more consistent I am with the exercise, the less arthritis pain I have over time!! Am currently dealing with tendonitis in my shoulder and weird as it sounds doing those stretchy band exercises the PT gave me to do really help when the shoulder is painful to start with. Seems like thats the time to not move it, but it works just the opposite. Probably in part because sitting at a puter all day at work stresses the shoulder. The exercises put it into better alignment!!
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